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Mahesh

25/12/24 10:52 AM IST

Quantum computing

In News
  • Physicist Richard Feynman proposed the idea of developing a computer to simulate quantum systems in 1982. 
Basics of Quantum Computing
  • Classical computers work on the principles of classical physics.
  • Their fundamental computing unit is the bit: each bit represents one piece of information with two possible values, 0 or 1.
  • It is possible to represent all types of information as a combination of 0s and 1s using the binary system.
  • Quantum computers rely on quantum bits or qubits to perform computations.
  • Unlike classical bits, qubits can exist in the states 0, 1 or in a state that’s partly 0 and partly 1. In this context, state refers to all the possible values the qubit can have.
  • The ability of qubits to be in two states is known as superposition. Superposition is one of two fundamental principles that animate quantum computers.
  • Imagine a spinning coin. While the coin is spinning, it can be both heads or tails, and it isn’t until the coin collapses that you can see which it is. A qubit is like a spinning coin that holds both values simultaneously.
  • When a qubit is measured, it collapses to one of the values, 0 or 1. This means while a classical bit holds one unit of information, a qubit can hold two.
  • Because of this quantum computers can perform multiple computations simultaneously, with the measurement revealing one of the possible outcomes of the computations.
  • The second fundamental principle upon which quantum computers are based is called entanglement.
  • This phenomenon allows qubits to be intrinsically linked no matter how far apart they physically are. Albert Einstein famously called it “spooky action at a distance”.
  • So measuring the state of one of the qubits could immediately yield information about the state of the other.
  • Say you have a pair of gloves. Each glove is put in a separate box and sent to different locations, and we don’t know which box has which. But once a box is opened to reveal the left glove, we instantly know the other box has the right glove.
Limitations
  • The chief concern is that building quantum computers remains expensive and complex.
  • Keeping many qubits stable is also difficult because of error rates and decoherence (when a qubit loses superposition because of noise from its surroundings).
  • The problems for which we really need quantum computers — like discovering new drugs or cracking mysteries in astronomy — also require millions of qubits.
Source- The Hindu

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